Patents Examined by Christopher R Legendre
  • Patent number: 12270318
    Abstract: A blade made of a composite material, the blade including a fibrous reinforcement densified by an organic matrix and being provided, in an attachment zone, with a metal element, wherein the reinforcement includes, in at least one region of the attachment zone, a surface textile orientation adapted to the direction of mechanical stresses by having first skin threads that extend in a main mechanical stress direction and that are bonded to second skin threads transverse to the first threads, the first skin threads making up most of the surface area of the region of the attachment zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Pierre-Antoine Bossan, François Charleux
  • Patent number: 12264687
    Abstract: An air amplifier for directing airflow from a fan assembly, and a fan assembly including an air amplifier. The air amplifier includes an inlet for receiving airflow from a fan assembly, and an airflow cavity. The airflow cavity includes a first wall and a second wall that define an airflow passageway extending towards an exhaust outlet for emitting air. A divider body is provided within the passageway. The divider body divides the airflow passageway into a first exhaust passageway and a second exhaust passageway. The divider body tapers towards the exhaust outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Philip Tennison Reilly, Dale Marc Comley
  • Patent number: 12264590
    Abstract: A fan assembly for an engine has a fan blade, a disk having a disk segment, a trunnion mechanism having a trunnion extending at least partially through the disk segment, and first and second attachment systems. The trunnion has a platform and a shaft. The fan blade is adjacent to the platform of the trunnion. The trunnion is attached to the disk segment using the first attachment system along a preload path. The first and second attachment systems further include first and second retention features, respectively, separate from the preload path. During normal operation of the fan assembly, the first attachment system retains the trunnion within the disk along a first load path. Upon a failure in the trunnion, the first and second retention features together retain the trunnion within the disk segment along a second load path, the first load path being different than the second load path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Abhijeet Jayshingrao Yadav, Nicholas Joseph Kray, Nitesh Jain
  • Patent number: 12259036
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan drive turbine, a fan rotor, and a gear reduction driven by the fan drive turbine and, in turn, to drive the fan rotor. A main oil supply system supplies oil to components within the gear reduction, and an auxiliary oil supply system. The auxiliary oil supply system includes a rotation sensor for sensing rotation of a component that will rotate with the fan rotor, a control, an auxiliary oil pump, and a main supply sensor for sensing operation of the main oil supply system. The control is programmed to supply oil from the auxiliary oil pump to the gear reduction when the rotation sensor senses the component is rotating. A determination is made that inadequate oil is being supplied from the main oil supply system based upon information from the main supply sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventor: William G. Sheridan
  • Patent number: 12253063
    Abstract: A method includes determining, by a control system, from among a plurality of categories, a current category of an incoming wind approaching a wind turbine, and setting, by the control system, a yaw bias of the wind turbine based on the current category. In some examples, the plurality of categories includes two or more wind conditions, such as a first wind condition in which wind contacting an upper rotor of the wind turbine is veering and wind contacting a lower rotor of the wind turbine is veering, a second wind condition in which the wind contacting the upper rotor of the wind turbine is veering and the wind contacting the lower rotor of the wind turbine is backing, and so on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Jiarong Hong, Linyue Gao
  • Patent number: 12241388
    Abstract: A rotor includes a rotatable hub, blades, and two coupling members, namely, a first coupling member and a second coupling member that couple each blade and the hub. The longitudinal directions of the first coupling member and the second coupling member lie along a tangential direction of a rotation trajectory of the hub, and the first coupling member and the second coupling member are spaced apart from each other in a radial direction of the rotation trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Iso, Yuji Ishitsuka
  • Patent number: 12196223
    Abstract: Turbomachines having one or more flow guiding features designed to increase the performance of the turbomachine. In some examples, flow guiding features are designed and configured to bias a circumferential pressure distribution at a diffuser inlet toward circumferential uniformity, otherwise account for such low-frequency spatial pressure variations, increase the controllability of spatial flow field variations, or modifying flow field variations, etc. In some examples, a diffuser having a row of vanes that include a plurality of first vanes and at least one second vane having a different characteristic than the first vanes are disclosed. In some examples, diffusers having an aperiodic section including one or more biased passages for biasing a flow field are disclosed. And in some examples, turbomachines having flowwise elongate recesses in one or both of a hub and shroud surface are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Concepts NREC, LLC
    Inventor: David Japikse
  • Patent number: 12188370
    Abstract: An impeller (58) for a radial turbine comprises a substantially conical hub (70), and a plurality of impeller blades (80) arranged along an outer periphery of the hub at regular intervals, wherein a tip end (80D) of each impeller blade is provided with a fin (82) projecting in a thickness-wise direction of the impeller blade over a prescribed region (X) extending along a chord length thereof from a first point (P1) at a first distance from an upstream end (80A) of the tip end to a second point (P2) at a second distance from a downstream end (80D) of the tip end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuta Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 12180930
    Abstract: A method of determining a frequency of an oscillating movement of a wind turbine tower. The wind turbine tower includes a nacelle and a generator including a stator and a rotor, the oscillating movement causing a rolling movement of the nacelle, the method including obtaining a first signal indicative of rotor speed relative to the nacelle, obtaining a second signal indicative of rotor speed relative to ground, determining a first amplitude spectrum based on the first signal, determining a second amplitude spectrum based on the second signal, determining a difference function based on the first amplitude spectrum and the second amplitude spectrum, and determining the frequency of the oscillating movement of the wind turbine tower as a frequency corresponding to a peak in the difference function. A device for determining a frequency of an oscillating movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
    Inventors: Henrik Steffensen, Carl Lund Richter
  • Patent number: 12163536
    Abstract: A pump for transferring molten metal includes an intake tube, a motor, a rotor positioned at least partially within the bottom end of the intake tube, a rotor shaft positioned at least partially in the intake tube, the rotor shaft having a first end attached to the motor and a second end attached to the rotor. An overflow conduit is attached to the intake tube. The pump does not include a pump housing and preferably does not include a superstructure, so it is relatively small, light and portable. In use, the motor drives the rotor shaft and rotor to generate a flow of molten metal upward into the intake tube and into the overflow conduit where it is discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Inventor: Paul V. Cooper
  • Patent number: 12135011
    Abstract: A double turbine, includes: a rotatable deflector disc including a first base plate and a second base plate facing opposing directions along an axis of rotation; a first plural number of first vanes each pivotally mounted on the first base plate and uniformly spaced around the axis of rotation by a vane spacing angle; a second plural number of second vanes each pivotally mounted on the second base plate, and uniformly spaced around the axis of rotation by the vane spacing angle, the second plural number being equivalent to the first plural number; wherein each first vane is angularly positioned with respect to the rotation axis as between two second vanes. Multiple such double turbines can be stacked with a progressive helical twist such that each one double turbine is offset from at least one adjacent double turbine by a common twist angle with respect to the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Inventor: Michael O'Malley
  • Patent number: 12129772
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating power includes a heated fluid reservoir including a heated fluid, a back-pressure control channel, an energy extractor coupled to the heated fluid reservoir and the back-pressure control channel, and a pressure ejector coupled to the back-pressure control channel. The back-pressure control channel includes a fluid mobilization device configured to circulate an internal fluid and to form a low-pressure region within the back-pressure control channel. The energy extractor includes an energy extraction rotor. The low-pressure region in the back-pressure control channel causes the heated fluid from the heated fluid reservoir to be entrained through the energy extractor forming an entrained fluid. The energy extraction rotor is configured to extract power from the entrained fluid. The pressure ejector is configured to transmit the entrained fluid to an exhaust reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: SPAR SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventor: Gaurav Bazaz
  • Patent number: 12123403
    Abstract: A nacelle for a wind turbine includes: a nacelle housing; a rotor shaft; a rotor hub, arranged on the rotor shaft; a first rotor shaft bearing for bearing the rotor shaft on the nacelle housing; and a second rotor shaft bearing. The first rotor shaft bearing and the second rotor shaft bearing are arranged at an axial distance to one another and the first rotor shaft bearing is arranged closer to the rotor hub than the second rotor shaft bearing. The first rotor shaft bearing has a first sliding surface having an averaged first sliding surface diameter and the second rotor shaft bearing has a second sliding surface having an averaged second sliding surface diameter. The first sliding surface faces away from the rotor hub at least in some sections, wherein the first sliding surface and the second sliding surface face one another at least in a partial section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Miba Gleitlager Austria GmbH
    Inventor: Johannes Sebastian Hoelzl
  • Patent number: 12123431
    Abstract: A fan structure includes an upper frame defining a receiving space and at least one recess communicable with the receiving space; a stationary blade frame connected to a lower side of the upper frame, and internally forming a flared air passage having a stator seat provided therein; and an annular impeller externally provided with at least one inclined section corresponding to the recess. The annular impeller is mounted on the stator seat and located in the receiving space of the upper frame, and includes a hub, a plurality of blades, and an annular member. An impeller air passage is defined between the hub and the annular member and is communicable with the flared air passage to together form an inner airflow path. An outer side passage leading to the inclined section is defined between the annular member and the at least one recess to form an outer airflow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2024
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: ASIA VITAL COMPONENTS (CHINA) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ze-Hua Tan, Hua Lai
  • Patent number: 12110101
    Abstract: A rotorcraft has a rotor blade having a spar comprising an internal space. A weight system is disposed within the spar and the weight system includes a weight tray having an open top, a weight guide rod connected to the weight tray. The weight guide rod extends in a spanwise direction through an interior of the weight tray and a weight is disposed on the weight guide rod and vertically captured by at least one side wall of the weight tray. The weight guide rod is insertable into the weight tray from a location above the weight tray to restrict longitudinal movement of the weight guide rod relative to the weight tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: David Shultz, Bryan Baskin, Jason Owens, Robert Self, Paul Sherrill, Nicholas Allen Torske
  • Patent number: 12104621
    Abstract: A non-clogging pump (100, 200, 300) includes: a pump casing (3); an impeller (4, 204) including a main plate portion (41), a vane portion (43), and a central protruding portion (42); and a rotating shaft (1), in which an end portion (431) on an inner peripheral side of the vane portion (43) is connected to an outer periphery of the central protruding portion (42) when viewed from the suction port (33a) side, and the impeller (4, 204) is provided with a groove portion (45) extending from an inner peripheral side to an outer peripheral side of the impeller (4, 204), between the central protruding portion (42) and the vane portion (43), when viewed from the suction port (33a) side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Tsurumi Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Okuno
  • Patent number: 12098704
    Abstract: A method for mitigating loads acting on a rotor blade of a wind turbine includes determining, via a state estimator of a controller, a blade state estimation of the rotor blade. The method also includes reconstructing, via the controller, one or more loading signals of the rotor blade from the blade state estimation using modal analysis such that the loading signal(s) include a lead time. Further, the method includes comparing the loading signal(s) of the rotor blade to a loading threshold. Moreover, the method includes implementing a control action based on the comparison such that the lead time provided by the loading signal(s) allows the control action to take effect before a damaging load occurs on the rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology LLC
    Inventors: Ameet Shridhar Deshpande, Shuang Gu, Pranav Agarwal, Prashanth Kumar Reddy Vaddi, Bernard Landa, Arne Koerber
  • Patent number: 12098705
    Abstract: A method for operating a first wind power installation comprising a rotor having a rotor blade that is adjustable with a pitch angle, which generates an electrical power and in the wake of which a second wind power installation is located in at least one wake wind direction, comprising the step of: operating the first wind power installation in a substantially wake-free normal mode with a first pitch characteristic, and operating the first wind power installation in a wake-loaded wake mode with a second pitch characteristic, wherein the first pitch characteristic represents a first profile of the pitch angle and the second pitch characteristic represents a second profile of the pitch angle as a function of the electrical power, wherein the pitch angle of the second pitch characteristic is greater than the pitch angle of the first pitch characteristic for at least one range of the electrical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Stefanie Bott, Arjun Brück
  • Patent number: 12098707
    Abstract: A feedforward control method includes: acquiring, by means of a remote sensing measurement apparatus, inflowing wind information of a plurality of spatial point positions in front of a wind turbine, wherein the plurality of spatial points are distributed in a plurality of different cross sections, and the distances between the plurality of different cross sections and the wind turbine are different; combining the acquired inflowing wind information into a target wind velocity; predicting, on the basis of the combined target wind velocity, incoming flow arrival time required for inflowing wind at a target point to arrive at an impeller plane; and performing feedforward control on the wind turbine according to the predicted incoming flow arrival time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: BEIJING GOLDWIND SCIENCE & CREATION WINDPOWER EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fengjiao Bian, Lei Liu, Mingyuan Jiang, Shigang Yao
  • Patent number: 12098696
    Abstract: A system with a first turbine rotating in a first direction and a second turbine rotating in a second direction, wherein there is negative clearance associated with blades of the first turbine and the blades of the second turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Inventor: Bogdan Tudor Bucheru